Ballast for vessels



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

E. P. HIGKBY.

BALLAST FOB VESSBLS. No. 300,471. Patented June 17. 1884.

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Un rrnn STATE PATENT @rrrcn.

EDMUND P. HIOKEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO ALBERT EDELEN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BALLAST FOR VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,471, date June1884- Application filed April 18, 1884.

i .To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDMUND P. HIOKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing atWashington, in the District of Columbia, have in- 5 ventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Ballast for Vessels, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

vlllyinvention relates to a new and useful manner and means forballastin g ships or other vessels; and the novelty consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, as will be morefully hereinafter set forth, an( specifically pointed out in the claims.

In sea going and other vessels a proper amount of ballast is necessary,and itis not only desirable that such ballast shall be compact, so as tooccupy but a minimum of space, but it is necessary that it sh all becapable of being readily shifted from one side of the vessel, to meetcontingencies of shifting cargo and other conditions which render itnecessary to trim ship.

The object of this invention is to provide, first, a maximum of weightto a minimum of space; second, to divide the ballast fore and aft;third, to move the divided ballast in the same direction uniformly;fourth, to move the ballast at will, or as occasion may require,with theleast possible friction, and with a power that will under no ordinarycircumstances fail to effect the purpose. These objects I seek to attainby the mechanism and combinations of mechanisms fully illustrated in theaccompa- 3 5 nying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and in which- Figurelisatop plan view; Fig. 2, asectional view on line:0 a), Fig. 1, showing an independent deck covering the device; and Fig.3, a

40 modification showing the ballast suspended.

In what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention, Idivide the ballastinto two equal or nearly equal parts, arranging onepart sufficiently forward of midships, and the other part sufficientlyaft, to properly trim the ship. The ballast, of lead or hammered iron,is mounted on wheels or rollers having grooved peripheries. These wheelsor rollers travel upon tracks or guides which extend across the vesselbeneath the deck, or in any desirable A chain in two parts, each partlocation.

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connecting the two portions of the ballast at opposite ends, is operatedby anintermediate shaft and power-connections to moveboth portions ofthe ballast in the same direction at the 5 5 same time.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts in all the figures, A'A designate the ballast, ofmetal, and of such dimensions as to be convenient for the purpose,mounted on wheels a a, whlch travel upon tracks or guides D, extendingacross the vessel from side to side. The ballast may be suspended fromthe rails or tracks, and the wheels or rollers have peripheral groovesto hold them into engagement with the tracks, if desired; but in anycase the wheels a are so conditioned that no ordinary rolling willdisengage them. At each end of each track 1s a stationary roller orpulley, B, and other stationary rollers, as B B are arranged atotherpoints, for purposes which will presently appear. A chain, 0, attachedto one end of the ballastcar A,passes over one of the pulleys or rollersB, thence aft and beyond the longltudinal center of the hull over apulley, B thence under and around a shaft, E, thence aft and around apulley, B, and the opposite end secured to the opposite end of theballast-car A, while a similar chain, G, secured to the other end of carA, passes over pulley B, thence across ship and over pulley l3, crossingthe plane of the chain G at a point marked G, thence over and around theshaft, around pulleys B and B, and is secured to the car A, as shown.

It will be observed that the chainsO and G, in connection with theballast-cars A and A, form an endless chain, which crosses itself at thepoint G, and which passes around the shaft E in reverse directions.

It will further be observed that any movement of the shaft E will moveboth cars in the same direction at the same rate of speed. The shaft Ehas a crank, f, a pitman, F, connected therewith being loosely joinedwith the piston of a small engine worked by steam generated in one ofthe boilers of the ship. This engine and its connections it is notnecessary to illustrate in this application, as they may be of anyapproved construction, and of themselves form no part of this invention.The engine, however, it is designed shall be under ranged transverse tothe plane of the ship,and the control of the pilot, and any means whichballast-cars adapted to travel on such tracks, 7

two chainsarranged to cross each other and will allow such pilot toreadily work the engine to rotate the shaft E in either direction may beemployed.

Modifications in details of construction may be made without departingfrom the principle or sacrificing the advantages of my inventionas, forinstance, the tracks may be arranged in any location, so that theyrunacross ship, and the ballast-car may be suspended or ride on the railsby gravity. The shaftE may be rotated by hand and crank connections, asE c, if 'de sired.

The device is of service in loading and una loading, in shifting cargo,and in counteracting a rush toward one side of the vessel after sightingland.

\Vhat I clai1n,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In combination with tracks or guides arwith the cars constitute anendless chain, and a single shaft at E, adapted to operate such chain toforce the cars in the same direction simultaneously, as set forth.

2. The combination,with the tracks 1) D and cars A A, as described, ofthe chains 0 and 0, attached to the cars as shown. and crossing eachother, as at G, and the shaft E, operating said chains to move the carsin the same direction simultaneously, and the rollers B B B all arrangedand adapted to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND I. HIOKEY. \Vitnesses:

EDGAR T. GADDIS, SAML. 0. Mars.

